Wii may help children's movement

USING the Nintendo Wii Fit could help improve the development of children with movement difficulties, new research suggests.

Regular use of balance games on the computer console could have a positive impact on the motor skills of children with developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), researchers say.

Using the game could also help improve children's social and emotional behaviour related to the condition.

Boffins studied two groups of children with DCD or other movement difficulties. One group spent 10 minutes, three times a week, using the Wii Fit during their lunch break while the other group took part in a programme aimed at helping children develop motor skills.

Therapeutic

The results found "significant gains" in motor proficiency, the child's perception of their motor ability and reported emotional well-being for those using the console over those who did not.

Lead researcher Professor Elisabeth Hill from Goldsmiths, University of London, said the pilot study provides evidence to support the use of the computer within therapeutic programmes for children with movement difficulties.

"The results provide interesting points warranting further discussion, particularly in view of the fact that many children have access to the Nintendo Wii Fit and may be using this system at home with minimal supervision," she said.

Co-researcher Dr Dido Green, from Oxford Brookes University, added: "These preliminary results highlight the need for further research to inform across these, and other questions, regarding the implementation of virtual reality technologies in therapeutic services for children with movement difficulties."

DCD is believed to affect 5 to 6pc of children who are school aged and tends to occur more frequently in boys. It results in a child being unable to perform everyday tasks because of a delay in the development of motor skills or difficulty co-ordinating movements.